RP:Feline Acupuncture

Synopsis: Zahrani meets up with Bastion in the Kelay Tavern and accepts acupuncture from him. It proves highly beneficial to her divine-driven abilities. Afterwards, she catches up with Talyara, who was sitting in the tavern.

Bastion performed more and more acupuncture and massage in taverns. He found inn keeps quite willing to provide him with food and shelter if he'd provide his services in their establishments... it invariably proved good for business, for them. People tended to return, asking after the little goat-boy monk and his treatments. He sat at a table now, having just finished helping a few farmer folk relax, and they sat at the table with him, all with relaxed, contented expressions, delighting in some simple talk about soil, weather, and markets for the crops. Bastion seemed to fit right in, understanding all of it as though he'd spent his whole life farming, just as they had. Which, he had. Mostly.

Zahrani had been traveling the local towns of Kelay, Larket, and Cenril, providing her own healing, counsel, and often food/gold for those who needed it most. The sack of gold that she had randomly received from a dragon friend was keeping her busy. The paladin quietly entered the tavern, looking to rest for moment and possibly see familiar faces. Azure orbs fell on Bastion, the feline smiling warmly at him as a light, amber-hued aura played across her fur. She approached quietly, taking care not to interrupt any work he might have been doing in the moment.

Bastion could feel Zahrani's aura, as she neared. It was less subtle than his... it had its own glorious colors, and marked her for the holy warrior she was. His was more of an unnoticed, gentle suggestion... an inclination in others to regard him as trustworthy, and harmless. Both of which he very much was, and if that changed, for even a moment, he would lose that aura of his. "Zahrani! Come, sit. We were talking of seasons past. These fine folk work in a vineyard, and were telling me of the deep red wines they make. They supply some of the casks that the mage's tower in Xalious likes to stock, for special occasions. They say their grapes are without compare, in all of Kelay."

Zahrani took a seat at an adjacent table next to Bastion, her ears pointed towards the boy when he explained what his patients did for a living. She looks to the patrons and says, "Truly? It is good work you do, then. A bit of wine is good for health and for wound treatment, but it can also make water safer to drink if it cannot be boiled." This was how she kept herself humble, highlighting the positives of common work rather than her own labor.

Bastion watched as the group nodded along with her words, blissfully content. Really, she could say just about anything, and they'd agree with her, right now. Feeling that good just tended to make people... agreeable. They spent some time highlighting the finer points of wine, before Bastion changed the topic, talking to Zahrani. "It is good to see you again, Zahrani. I wanted to ask, before I traveled... would you be interested in continued relief efforts for Larket? I am headed that way, and unwilling to go, unfortunately, without some added protection. As much as I wish to help, it would be foolish of me not to recognize that getting myself killed will be of little use to the citizens of Larket."

Zahrani listened with interest to the group, watching studiously as Bastion worked his therapeutic arts. At Bastion's mention of heading to Larket, she responded without hesitation, "Of course, my friend. I will heading that way as well to provide aid where I can." The feline then adds, "And as long as I am a paladin of Cyris, you will always find shelter in the Chapel there." In the face of Larket's totalitarian rule, Zahrani aims to preserve hope for freedom and independent thought, and she may very well find clerics who would be willing to help behind the scenes.

Bastion bit his lip at the mention of the temple. "I do hope so, Zahrani. I have heard good things of the devout of Cyris. I would hate to think the temple is compromised by the same... plague that affects the people of Larket." It would be nice, if it could be counted on as a safe haven. "If I can minister healing and services from there, that would be ideal... as long as we don't make them a target of the anger of the people. I myself received a bit of a mixed reception. No matter how much I do, there is mistrust against me, for I aided the witches they so despise."

Zahrani's face was neutral, thinking about the troubles that Larket faced. There was always a risk of things falling apart, but, "We can be proactive and discreet in providing you shelter, if you wish." She offered a wry grin before saying, "...even if it means smuggling you in while you hide in a hay cart." Subtlety had become a necessity for those who still walked their path, but the threat of reprisals still hung heavily over them. Thus far, they had managed to keep things relatively peaceful in their corner of Larket. Violence in or near the Chapel was strictly forbidden, and their service to all had proven valuable many times over. Neither side seemed eager to risk breaking those rules...yet.

Bastion nodded. "Hopefully, that won't be necessary... if it becomes necessary simply to keep my presence a secret, then I'll probably have to simply leave. In a city of witch hunts, keep secrets is a difficult prospect, especially if you have to deal with many other people." He chewed his lip, thinking over it. "Well, there's a merchant caravan leaving for Larket in a few days. I was hoping we could travel with... safety in numbers, and all. There are a lot of bandits on the roads since Kahran's attacks and the witch trials have spread Larket's forces thin."

Zahrani nodded in understanding, "Of course...we can provide our services to the merchants in exchange for allowing us to travel with them." She sat with a calm demeanor, her arms crossed beneath her cloak, "If that doesn't work, for whatever reason, I can send to word to one of the clerics." She was roughly 90% certain the merchants wouldn't turn down a paladin and an advanced healer, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.

Bastion smiled. "This sounds like a good plan.” The merchants would be pleased, having the protection of a monk and a paladin, and for basically free, besides. "Ah, I almost forgot. Would you be interested, Zahrani, in acupuncture? It has many health benefits, and is a very pleasant experience. Moreover, it tends to have even greater effect on the good devoted. Arts which make use of wisdom tend to find great benefit from the calming effects of acupuncture on the mind and soul."

Zahrani pondered the possibility of undergoing acupuncture. The prospect of needles in her flesh did not necessarily concern her; the concept itself was just largely unknown to her, and she was uncertain her how body specifically would respond to it. "I might be interested. Have you practiced it on felines before?" She was uncertain how much of a difference there is in her nervous system, as opposed to that of a human or elven nervous system; the silver lining was that they were all mammals. So she had that going for her. "Also, aside from protection, is there anything I could do for you as well? Any spots on your back or shoulders that I could help with?" She knew enough about massages to provide basic relief, but nothing nearly as advanced as Bastion.

Bastion had the most cherubic smile, childish, carefree, innocent. "What I do, with the needles, is inject small bits of my own Ki into you. It helps stabilize your own vital energies, providing a myriad of health benefits. It's a rather complicated art, but it's quite simple, how it works. At it's basic level, at least. If you want to try your own hand at massage, you can feel free to use me to learn! I can give you tips as well. But, please be gentle. You're very strong, and I'm, well, delicate." He was blushing now. He never could forget just how small and weak he was. It was hard to lift a shovel time after time, in this small body, no matter the conditioning he did. Still, it didn't affect his Gentle Fist style, so there was that.

Zahrani nodded, raising a large paw and spreading her padded digits with precise, decisive motion, "Of course...I can be gentle when necessary." The idea intrigued her, and she answers, "Anyway, I accept. You may perform acupuncture on me." She waits for Bastion to either specific a time, or to just instruct her on what to do if he had time now.

Bastion looked at her paws, and wondered. She seemed to have retractable claws... and oooh, those pads. Those furry, soft little pads. He was staring at them, wide eyed. He bet those would be GREAT for massage. He hadn't even considered it. "Oooh... oh, uh, yes. Well, we can take a room for some privacy. For acupuncture, like massage, you need to remove everything covering your torso, so that I can work on your back, all along the spinal column."

Zahrani withdrew her paw back into the cloak wrapped around her, smiling slightly at the wide-eyed expression on the boy. She stood up and said, "I have some time now, if that works for you. Do you have a room here that you can use?" If not, she had a room at a cheap inn nearby, which she would also use to provide temporary shelter and food for anyone who needed it at the time. For those who live on the street, a chance to bathe and rest by a fire could go a long way in revitalizing them.

Bastion nodded. "Right this way. Innkeeps and bartenders alike set aside room for me to work. I work for free, and bring in customers. People are... willing to spend money, once they're so relaxed, it seems." Or so he'd been told, by some very happy bartenders. It also meant a clientele that was less beligerant, which was always nice. Bastion led her up to a room, where there was a clean bed with fresh linens laid out, and took off his bracelet, unfolding it so that all the needles in it were displayed. There were different thicknesses, lengths, and metals, all for different needs. "There is a towel by the bed you can use, along with some face-pillows so you can breath without twisting your neck. Let me know when you are ready." Meanwhile, he'd prepare his needles, making sure to sterilize them all beforehand, mysteriously enough, with little zaps of Ki.

Zahrani followed Bastion into the room. Looking towards the bed, the feline removed her cloak, placing it nearby and removing her armor. Once the paladin's plating rested in a neat pile on her cloak, she carefully removed her shirt. Her torso had just as much muscle tone as her arms. Her shoulders weren't broad, but the androgyny of her form was reinforced by the fact that her chest had more pectoral than fatty tissue. Given her subspecies of feline, it made sense that she didn't have a lot of breast tissue. Every inch of her is covered in that same multi-shaded black, almost-velvety fur. Subtle hints of yellow light played across it, as if they were standing over an illuminated pool. She turned for a moment to look at Bastion's equipment, reached up to move her braided hair away from her back, then laid facedown on the bed with her head towards the young man.

Bastion chose his needles, and smiled. These would do the trick. With the magical saturation from her holy worship, her energies would have a touch of powerful divinity in them, which could always make them a bit recalcitrant to being worked by an external ki, so he would use a more powerful conductor, mithril. "You'll feel nothing at first. Oh, my. You have some very impressive muscle. Ah, sorry. You'll feel nothing, and then a light, fuzzy feeling. Any aches or pains you have will fade away." He inserted the first needle near the top of her spine, just below her neck. "Next, comes a feeling of relaxation, and contentment. That lingers for quite a while. Sometimes as long as a week." He inserted several more needles. "Then, the whole world will fade away, as you feel a strong state of euphoria, and relief. Your burdens will seem to shrink, and fall away from you, set aside so that you can relax." He kept talking, but it was unlikely she'd hear the rest of his rambling, as for the next thirty minutes, she'd probably primarily just feel good, and a little sleepy.

Zahrani closed her eyes, the feline holding her tail perfectly still so as not to swat Bastion in the face while he worked. By the time the full effects set in, she didn't have to consciously hold it in place. Except for the slow movement of her breathing, she was completely motionless, letting the feelings of relaxation and euphoria wash over her like rays of sunlight. The feline appeared to glow slightly, but the effect appeared to fade. Upon further examination, Bastion might notice that was because most of the room around her was glowing now.

Bastion watched the room light up like a fireplace, as she relaxed. It seemed she had her own trance like effects, same as he. Indeed, acupuncture would likely be a good source of meditative training for her to realize more of her potential, in that regard. When he was finished with the session, he would sit beside her quietly, contemplating such mysteries, until she came 'round again. Sometimes, it could take hours... and seem like mere seconds to the patient.

Zahrani truly was in a meditative state. In her mind's eye, she saw herself, surrounded in a dark fog, facing towards...something, or someone. Her mental version raised both hands above her head, eyes closed. Within what felt like seconds, a tiny pinprick of yellow light formed above her paws, ballooning rapidly in a sunlike beacon. Light radiated out in stunning fractal-like patterns, burning the darkness clean. The light build until the entire scene was awash in white light. At the conclusion of the trance, Zahrani's eyes physically opened, her aura receding once more. She stared at nothing for a moment, inhaling deeply, then she exhaled through her mouth. A strange, arcane mist swirled outward with her exhale, and she turned a serene gaze in Bastion's direction.

Bastion watched the spectacle of supernatural power as she came to. She seemed to exude holy power... was she merely channeling it, or had she somehow made it her own? Bastion couldn't tell, even with his eyes. "Feel ok, Zahrani? Your aura is something fierce, when you meditate. It made quite a show." Talyara is downstairs getting turnt. Har har har, nah, she's just having a cuppa next to the fire.

Zahrani smiled, "I'm just fine, Bastion. Thank you for asking." She simply rested for a moment, before pushing herself into a seated position next to the boy. She appeared sleepy-eyed, but she was still quite lucid and aware of her surroundings. Her tail swished behind her as she looked at the wall, stretching her arms above her before using them to support her as she leaned back. She turned to Bastion, asking curiously, "So what exactly happened when I was meditating?"

Bastion noted that Zahrani seemed comfortable with her nudity, but he didn't let his eyes linger anywhere. Professional courtesy, and all. "Well, your aura grew to a stunning intensity. And you seemed to exhale some sort of mist, towards the end. I'm not an expert on divine capabilities, but I don't doubt that it isn't the normal means of manifestation for them." Talyara exited to the south.

You stood up, listening curiously, "That sounds about right. I'm sure there have been more interesting manifestations." She smiled, serenely walking towards the door and opening it. As she stood in the threshold looking out at the rest of the tavern, the smell of stale beer appeared to wear off some of the tranquil feeling. She blinks for a moment, looks out at the tavern patrons (she may or may not have seen Talyara's face), then looks down and realizes she's still shirtless. As casually as possible, she shut the door softly, turned around and said, "I guess I wasn't quite as lucid as I thought." In her euphoric state, it didn't occur to her to be embarrassed. She thought it was mildly amusing. She thought she had overheard a female patron whisper, "What's that cat-man doing without a shirt on?"

Bastion giggled a bit, at the comment from beyond the door, and Zahrani's antics. Bastion had been raised a girl himself, in secret, and was used to being mislabeled for his gender. He didn't really mind... he liked being pretty sometimes, instead of handsome. "You must be careful, the treatment can severely limit your inhibitions. I've had people do all sorts of embarassing things after acupuncture, though they didn't generally care until almsot a week later."

You shrugged, before she walked over to Bastion and proceeded to put her shirt back on. "I'll try to remember that." She was similar in that she had mostly been raise around men, and it wasn't until a young woman told her that she needed to cover her chest ("you just should, as a lady. Doesn't matter if nothin's there. That's just how it is...") that she started doing it. She sat back down again, reaching for her armor plating and putting it on.

• Next RP

Talyara shoulders her way through the door of the Kelay Tavern, as she is want to do. Her hair hangs in it’s usual, unruly waves curtaining her face. The lithe witch is clad in a pair of leggings coupled with a too large purple sweater which sweeps off of one shoulder. Her favorite pair of worn, leather ankle boots echo each step she takes. Taly pauses momentarily had the bar to order a cup of hot tea before weaving her way through the other patrons and furniture and plopping down in a chair beside the fire.

The door to a private room opens. Standing at the threshold is a black-furred feline. Shirtless. She seems to pause for a moment, scanning the patrons of the tavern, including Talyara, before she looks down at her torso and very calmly shuts the door again. Voices could be heard on the other side, and at one of the tables, a woman asks in a soft voice, "Why was that cat-man not wearing a shirt?" A response, "Was it a man or a woman?" "Either way, they were...fetching." A few moments passed as Zahrani, on the other side of the door, put her clothes back on while wrapping up her conversation with Bastion.

Talyara had missed Zahrani’s shirtless appearance for her green eyes were unfocused and distant as she stared into the flames. She gave her head a shake and blinked as she heard the murmurs around her. Her nose crinkles as she tries to decipher who the patrons are talking about when the feline makes her appearance. Taly shoots her a friendly smile and waggles her fingers in a wave.

Zahrani steps out again, this time wearing a sleeveless shirt and ignoring the two women giggling women. The feline is just as serene and calm as ever, if not even more so. Turning towards Talyara, she waves and moves to take a seat next to her, ordering a nice cuppa hot tea as well. "Good to see you again."

Talyara tucks her legs underneath her body and leans to the side, leaning against the armrest. She smiles at the feline orders a cup of tea well and eagerly accepts her own steaming mug once they are delivered. “You as well. Truth be told, I don’t frequent this tavern much but I’ve been traveling between Sage and Cenril so this is the most convenient place to rest and get some refreshments.” Talyara takes a tentative sip of her tea. “How are you?"

Zahrani nods in understanding, before responding, "I feel good. It seems acupuncture has a positive effect on my paladin abilities, and my overall health." The feline gently inhales the aroma from her tea; a floral blend. Exhaling, she says, "My travels will likely take me north." To Larket. Bastion needed protection, and she could provide that and shelter for him at the Chapel of Cyris. Over her shoulder, one of the younger ladies that were talking about her earlier seems to be quietly staring, slightly inebriated and starry-eyed at the paladin.

Talyara feels a shiver run down her spine at the mention of Larket, a small frown tugging down on the corners of her mouth. She doesn’t say anything at first, opting to take another sip of tea before sighing. “I am staying as far away from Larket as I can.” If the feline knew of what happened there, she might understand the witch’s aversion. Those emerald eyes spy the female looking at Zahrani and that frown quickly dissolves into a smirk. She inclines her chin and winks to the feline. “I think you have an admirer."

Zahrani nods, her eyes showing that she understood perfectly. She had been keeping up on current events. Her goal as a paladin of Cyris is to keep the hope of Freedom and Independence alive, in the face of a totalitarian regime. Not an easy task, but the clerics and paladins of Cyris have learned how to be discreet. One of the feline's ears turns towards the young woman, a half smile forming on her face as she looks down at her tea, "I bet she's going to ask-" Right then and there, whatever was in the woman's drink gave her the courage to say, "Oy! Are you a lad er a lass?!" Without missing a beat, Zahrani looks at her elven friend and says, "Saw that coming a mile off." Turning her head towards the girl, the paladin responds, "Did you not notice earlier? I'm a woman." To which the response was, "Wheres yer bust?" An eye-roll from the feline, "Don't need one." The girl seems to lose interest, even as she occasionally looks back from time to time.

Talyara snorts into her tea as the woman asks the question that Zahrani was just about to say and turns her face back towards the fire to hide her giggle. Still, the witch doesn’t appreciate the rudeness of the young woman and her eyes narrow slightly. Just then, a patron pushes his way into the tavern and Talyara takes advantage of the gust of wind that accompanies him. With a flick of her hand (which she hopes seems like a nonchalant move), the gust strengthens enough to shift the woman’s chair slightly so that when she goes to straighten herself, she misjudges and slips off of it and spills her ale down her front. Taly, feigning innocence, clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “You should be more careful!” She tuts at the young woman.

Zahrani feels the wind pick up in a highly unusual fashion, turning her head towards the crashing sound. Determining that the girl wasn't hurt, she turns back in her seat to rest her eyes on Talyara. The feline has one hell of a poker face. She returns to her mug of tea, a look of reassurance given to the elf, "I've learned to tune out such things, but that's only because no one's tried to stop me from doing so. Young Bastion gets similar treatment from men, and he can't just ignore it." The two of them, highly androgynous in different ways, and both of them having their own vows to help those who need it most. "While it gets mildly annoying when you're trying to do good in the world, I've learned to accept that for every person who looks like they're falling in love with you, there are others who will look at you with disdain, confusion, or even hostility." She sips her tea, breathing deeply and maintaining her serene demeanor.

Talyara continues her look of innocence even if the young girl shoots her a nasty look as she settles in her seat once more and begins to mop up the ale on her shirt. Her eyes flutter back to the feline and her expression sobers as she drinks from her tea once more. “Love is overrated."

Zahrani sips her tea, her aura causing subtle refractions of amber light to play across her fur. At the elf's statement she shrugs, "Depends on the love. You seem to show love by taking care of your animals. I show it by taking care of those who are most unloved." She then thinks back to a poem she read, and a verse that had stuck with her, "'Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.' In that kind of love, there is also a measure of freedom."

Talyara listens to her friend speak on love and shrugs her shoulders. She could agree that there were certain types of love, different degrees. But the witch had suffered a dark past, one where she lost different people who claimed to love her in different ways. While her own heart was open and she cared more than she should, she couldn’t help the small bitterness in her heart that it was often not reciprocated. “I suppose you’re right,” she ended up saying.

Zahrani offers a warm smile. For her, love was easy. Her understanding of love was to assume that loving relationships will always have some sort of imbalance. Then again, she knows it's not her place to judge how Talyara deals with the bad experiences in her life. She takes a sip of tea, resting her elbows on the table as she sets her cup down, "Well, for whatever it is worth, know that I love you, my friend." She says it with confidence and warmth, and with the understanding that even though such feelings may change in the distant future, her statement is true right now.

Talyara arches her brow at Zahrani’s declaration but she smiles all the same. “Well, you are a good friend,” she says, raising her mug in a silent toast. Love was something hard for this particular witch to express, even on a friendship level. She only hoped that the feline understood and didn’t take it the wrong way that the words were not reciprocated.

Zahrani seems content with that answer, the paladin raising her mug to Talyara's with a clinking sound. For Zahrani, she accepted whatever love others were willing to give. It was part of her life as a paladin, laboring for others and not building wealth for herself, and humbly receiving whatever they were willing to give in return. A soft purr escapes from the feline's throat as she finishes tea. She doesn't even flinch or acknowledge when one of the other slightly-inebriated women, who had previously giggled at her, yelled in a thick accent, "Oy! Just kiss and be done with it already." just loudly enough for them to hear. However, the paladin is ready for it, saying in humorous response, "Jealousy isn't a good look, dear patron."

Talyara looks over at the drunken patron and furrows her brow before rolling her eyes. “Another reason I generally avoid the taverns if I can help it,” she speaks to Zahrani in a voice that was sure to carry to the woman. “Drunk people who do nothing but embarrass themselves."

Zahrani laughs softly, before turning to Nancy and asking for some more hot water for her tea, "That's understandable. But they've been slightly less belligerent since Bastion started doing massages and acupuncture here." Mesthak was most certainly taking advantage of the business increase, but it was good that the young monk was being fed and housed while he was in Kelay. "We could spend our next time together out in the forest, or in Cenril, if you'd like."

Talyara :: The woman had clearly heard Talyara’s comment and had stood to move towards her; thankfully her friend grabbed her wrist and tugged her back into her seat. The witch is tempted to continue to poke the inebriated woman, but decides against it. “That would be nice,” she agrees with a small smile. “You could come visit the sanctuary? Or as you said, we could meet up in Cenril."

Zahrani closes her eyes, just enjoying the warmth from her tea, the fire, and her friend's presence. Opening her eyes again, she says, "I would love to visit your sanctuary some time." Possibly even help out a bit, if she needed it. The feline stifles a yawn before saying, "I should probably head back to my room soon." She was also offering her own healing services in exchange for room and board, but Mesthak seems more interested in her unusual, intimidating presence in his bar. Like she was an unofficial bouncer. She and her aura seem to be good at keeping things relatively peaceful.

Talyara smiles and pulls her legs up further under her body and continues to sip her tea. “By all means, if you’re tired please don’t stay on my account. Once I finish my tea, I’ll be heading out myself. I appreciate the company and conversation,” she adds with a small smile.

Zahrani offers an embrace to Talyara. Should she accept, the elf would find the feline as strong, yet as soft, as she appears. Zahrani gives nice hugs. =^.^= Should she not want one, the paladin would not be offended; either way, she says, "Good night." and retires to her room.

Talyara likes warm hugs.